Stolen Kisses
by Dallas365
Summary: "Let's make one more 'mistake' today," Bash said as he pulled back. My mistake wasn't kissing him, it was revealing my true feelings for him. That was the mistake. Rated M because I rate all my stories as M. It's a one-shot!


**Hi! So, I made a one shot based on the kiss scene between Mary and Bash. Am I the only one who's re-winded that scene about a thousand times over? I just love it! Mash all the way! Yeah... Anyways I'm sorry I haven't updated my other stories recently. I have serious writer's block concerning them and I've been sick so please forgive me! As usual, comment. Enjoy! :) **

Blinded by my hurt, I left the festival. Left Francis. I was a fool for thinking that he would send Olivia away. They had been lovers before I had come back. I was a fool for thinking that Francis might have changed. I needed to face the music. Francis would never change his ways when it came to other women. Even after we got married, I was sure he would have mistresses. I had to face that sad reality and accept that he was just like his father. That was how he had been raised. Besides that, I was an idiot for thinking that he would love me even after our time apart. We had been apart for too long and I had built up an image of him in my time gone. In my absence, he hadn't thought of me; he'd simply had relationships. While I was loyal to our arranged marriage, he wasn't. Not that I should've expected him to be.

The castle was far behind me and the lake was nearing me. Subconsciously, I was looking for someone. I would find that person soon enough, but until then, I had no idea that I was ever searching for that certain someone. For now, I found myself wondering if what I felt for Francis was truly love. Sure, I thought he was handsome, but did I honestly love him? The question bounded around in my mind while the answer was in the front of my mind. I was in love with the image I had built of him during my time at the Convent. The real Francis was nothing like my imaginary Francis. The imaginary Francis loved me and only me. Real Francis was nothing like the one I'd built up in my mind. Next time I saw him, I would need to tread carefully. I needed to sort through my feelings for Francis and find the ones that were true.

Part of me yearned to ignore everything wrong he did, because I wanted everything to be perfect. I wanted to ignore all his wrongs so I could marry for love and not just for duty. But if I did that, the love wouldn't be true. It would simply be ignorance that would prove how stupid I was. Rather miserably, I accepted that I was fated to end up in an unjoyful marriage. As a Queen, I had to follow my duty, not my heart. Matters of the heart didn't mean a thing when one was a royal. A royal's first priorities were to country. For the good of my country, for the good of Scotland, I had to marry Francis in order to have an alliance with France. The alliance was something that Scotland desperately needed. As a regular girl, the alliance wasn't necessarily something that I needed.

The other part of me, the more logical part of me, knew that I would be naïve in thinking that I would marry for love. I needed to be realistic. Facing the music meant facing that I was doomed to have a marriage like Queen Catherine's. Francis would have mistresses. That was the polite way of phrasing that he would cheat on me. The first person he would have as a mistress would be Olivia. It was clear that he still had feelings for her; anyone could see that much. It pained me to remember the way he'd left my side for Olivia when she had first arrived. Bash had instantly come up to stand next to me and told me who she was like I knew he would. That was what I liked about Sebastian. He would always tell me the truth and he didn't treat me differently. Bash didn't treat me like a Queen, he simply treated me like I was a girl.

With clarity, I realized that I'd been looking for Bash and I had found him. The head of dark brown hair that I would recognize from anywhere was becoming sharper as I got closer to him. He was sitting on a fallen tree branch that was all too likely to have come from the tall oak next to it. Bash gazed out at the lake, holding a forgotten wineskin in his hand. In such deep thought, he was unaware of my presence. With a moment's hesitation, I wondered if I should turn back, but it was too late and I was selfish. Being with Bash always calmed me down. Being with Bash always made me feel wanted. When I was with him, I could forget all of my problems and simply be a simple girl that didn't have the weight of a country on her shoulders. Bash made me feel something that I never felt when I was with Francis.

Glumly, I walked around the log and sat down. "I could use some of that," I told him, holding my hand out.

"Everything alright?" Bash asked me, concern coloring his tone.

"No, it isn't," I replied, indicating once more for him to surrender the wineskin.

With a small smile on his lips, Bash passed over the skin and watched in silence as I took a large gulp. I grimaced as it burned my throat on the way down, finally settling in my stomach and enveloping me in a warm, heady feeling. Bash chuckled as I took another drink, "I should probably tell you to slow down."

"But you won't," I replied teasingly, handing the wineskin back to its owner.

Bash smiled and took another drink and I watched as the breeze lightly blew his hair, causing a couple of pieces to slightly stick up. The only people who would notice were the ones who cared about him and noticed every single difference. Bash returned his gaze to me, settling on my eyes while I looked at his lips before meeting his brilliant blue eyes. "I'm all yours," he said, his voice husky.

His words seemed innocent, but my mind flashed back to when Lola told me that he had feelings for me. I hadn't believed her and now I wasn't all too sure. An unfamiliar feeling settled in my stomach and my heart pumped blood quicker than before. Suddenly, the only thing I was certain of was that I had feelings for Bash. That was not good. I grabbed for the wineskin again and took a big drink.

"I need to be drunk," I stated quietly. Bash broke out in laughter and my cheeks went rosy. "I didn't mean to say that aloud."

"Perhaps you are already drunk. I don't believe sober people say things like that," he replied, traces of his beautiful laugh in his voice.

"I don't think that sane people say the things that I say," I admitted, smiling at him.

"That doesn't make you crazy," he paused, taking another drink, "You know what makes you different from the others Mary? You speak what's on your mind and don't just stand by silently. You actually voice your opinions."

"Why wouldn't I? It would be foolish not to say anything at all when one's opinion can change things for the better," I told him honestly.

"Exactly!" Bash exclaimed and continued, "If only the world knew that."

The liquor was getting to me, making my mind fuzzy, "We should go tell the world! You and me! I could do with running away and if I had to run away with someone, I would choose you. Who cares if I'm a Queen that's stuck in an arranged marriage! I would like to follow my heart."

Five minutes later, I faced Bash and the conversation had shifted to me ranting about Francis, "It was so foolish of me to think that we could be just a boy and just a girl. I mean, that would imply that one is free to leave if one is unhappy." Bash nodded in understanding and I continued, "And while I am stuck here with no recourse, he is free to do whatever he wants with whoever he wants." I took a drink from the wineskin and sighed, "Do you think I am overreacting? Am I boring you?" I cast my gaze down to watch the tall marsh grass sway in the breeze.

Bash lightly shook his head, "No, it's… unfathomable."

I looked back up at him. "What is?" I asked in confusion.

He kept eye contact with me, the emotions in his gaze intense, "Francis has you." Bash shrugged, "Why would he ever look elsewhere?"

Emotions spun through my head and, temporarily, I forgot who I was and the position I held. My gaze flicked to his lips and I found my body leaning towards him in its own accord. I shut my eyes and pressed my lips to his. We kissed for a few seconds before I pulled back, my eyes opening slowly.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." I felt foolish. Bash didn't have romantic feelings for me.

He took a deep breath, as if gathering courage. What he did next surprised me. "You're right," he began, "I should've."

Gently, Bash placed his hand on my arm and pulled me to him. Our lips met and I kissed back, forgetting all over again that I wasn't supposed to have feelings like this for him. Bash cupped my face with his hand and I raised my own hand, resting it against his arm. Then I remembered what was happening. And it couldn't happen anymore. I pulled his hand off with my own and looked at him, conflicting emotions spraying over my face.

"We… shouldn't… have done that. I was angry and… And you…" I stuttered. Seeing the pain on his face made my heart break. I stood up and almost stumbled. In the distance, the trumpets rang and I looked towards the castle, "They must be launching the ships. Um… I should go. I'm sorry, that was a mistake."

Hastily, Bash stood up, reaching for my arm, "Wait. Mary, what part of it was a mistake?"

His question caught me off guard, "The kissing part?"

I could see Bash trying not to smile, "I mean, why was it a mistake?"

"It was a mistake because it'll lead to heartbreak later. We can't be together. Not now, not ever."

"Why not? You're not married yet," Bash replied, taking one step closer to me.

For some reason, this was all agitating me, "Because I don't want to be in a relationship with someone I love when I can't marry them!" _If only Bash was legitimized, _I thought sullenly.

Bash stepped directly in front of me so that we were breathing one another's air. He leaned in and whispered, "Let's make one more 'mistake' today."

Bash pulled back a little and dipped his head, kissing me gently before I could respond. I kissed him back, feeling alive and vibrant, not caring if anyone saw. Before I knew what had happened, we were sitting back on the fallen tree branch, kissing passionately. I forgot of all time and space. Bash was the here and the now. He was my world. This was what I needed. I didn't need fancy dresses or ladies-in-waiting or a prince or the title of queen. I needed the illegitimate son of King Henry. I needed the older half-brother of Francis. I needed Bash.


End file.
